Unlikely Savior
by Sky Rider
Summary: Train saves Eve after she almost has a brush with death. As a result, Train gets mortally injured. Someone unexpected comes to his rescue. But will he make it?
1. Unlikely Savior

**Black Cat – Chapter 1 – Unlikely Savior**

There were a lot of names for the young man with dark hair and a golden decorated gun. Those who feared him called him "the number thirteen." Those who mocked him called him an "ex-eraser from Chronos." The ones who respected him called him "Black Cat." And the people that knew him personally, however few they were, always called him "Train." In the eyes of everyone around him, Train had become a symbol of whatever they had wanted him to be: their fears, their desires, and their emotions. It was something that Train didn't fight against. Why should he? He had earned a sturdy reputation by being a man who was absolutely unstoppable and not killable. So, how had it been that a little blond girl and a middle-aged man had somehow managed to worm their way into his heart? He had told himself in the past, time and time again, that he didn't care. What could he say? He lied. Now, here he was, hanging off a cliff and clutching the hand of the little blond girl who had managed to convince him that a bell tied around his neck was not only fine, but over time it had become his fashion statement.

Train looked up, seeing nothing but his own hand desperately clutching a tree root. The other hand held his gun. Further up from the hand that held his gun was the arm that was encircling Eve, holding her with all the strength he had. How had this happened? Sven was going to kill them both when he found out what Eve had gotten herself into. In short, Train was supposed to be keeping an eye on the girl. Train had gotten distracted like he always did. Eve had wandered off. Someone had managed to knock her unconscious (though how they managed to do it was the main mystery Train wanted solved). At the last second, as Eve started to fall from this cliff, Train had found her and come to her rescue. As a result, he was here, hanging from a cliff, with no hope of rescue any time soon.

"Princess?" Train looked down at her, calling her hopefully.

The blond girl didn't move. Train's eyes narrowed. He wasn't quite tired yet, but he knew that in a few more minutes he would be. If only he could wake Eve. If she woke up, not only could she get herself out of this mess, but him as well. But that was all a loss now. Eve was out cold. Sven was out looking for bounties in the middle of town, and everyone else who could've helped him didn't know where he was. No, it was back to Sven and Eve. Sven was the only one smart enough to find them, and Eve was the only one capable or getting them out of this situation without his help.

Train felt his palm scrape against the tree root in his hand as his slid slightly. He gritted his teeth, attempting to hold on tighter—pain pulsing through his arms. His whole body felt as if it were on fire. It would be bad enough if he dropped off of a cliff. He was at least agile enough to survive until he could find help. Eve, on the other hand, sure, she seemed indestructible, but that was when she was awake. Would she still be that way when she was asleep? Train groaned. Yeah, Sven was definitely going to kill him. And if he managed to somehow have the good luck of dying before Sven got the chance to finish him off, he was almost entirely certain that Sven would find a way to bring him back to life, just to kill him all over again.

Train's hand slipped, making him let out a strangled yell. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus on keeping a good grip on Eve and the tree root. An idea suddenly struck him. If he moved just right…just before his arms would go so numb that he couldn't hold on any longer, he could always push off the cliff and use the momentum to swing Eve onto solid ground. Sure, he was guaranteed to fall at least fifty to one hundred feet if he did it, but in the end…if all went wrong and no one found them, then at least he could save her for sure.

Train was hurting pretty bad now. It wasn't just the weight of him and Eve. It was the rotten, cockeyed position that he had managed to end up in. Looking down at the trees below, Train started to think that perhaps he might do the ass-kicking when Sven returned…just for going off and looking for bounties alone, and leaving him with Eve. After all, if Eve had the maturity to quench her curiosity once and a while, they wouldn't be there, hanging off a cliff right now.

"How ironic," Train whispered to himself bitterly. Indeed, how ironic it was. Black Cat, the legendary number thirteen, a deadly eraser from Chronos in his past, was now unable to even do as much as pull himself up a cliff.

Train's hand slipped down the root another inch or so, earning a small grunt of pain in return. He had to make sure that no matter what…even if the root slipped out of his hands…he couldn't let go of Eve. The arm that held Eve and Hades gave a sudden stab of pain. At first it was minor and contained to the lower part of his arm. Then as if knowing that this was all too easy to resist for Train, the pain started to spread up to his shoulder, gradually becoming more intense as it went. Train let out an indistinct sound, attempting to keep from screaming.

"Uhn…Princess…ugh…come on…Sven…HURRY!"

Train's fingers weakened and his grip around the root slipped again. By the time he managed to tighten his grip again, he was only holding onto the tip of the root. Train had waited nearly forty-five minutes to be rescued. By the end, he was holding on with shear willpower alone. No one had come for them.

"Princess…" Train said, his voice strained with effort and pain.

Eve did not answer him.

Finally, unable to hold on any longer, Train pushed off of the cliff. Using the tree root as momentary leverage, he managed to get the momentum in the direction he needed before he let go of the tree root all together, grabbed Eve's body with his other hand and forcefully used his last remaining ounce of strength to swing her up over the edge of the cliff. She barely made it.

Exhausted, Train fell towards the bottom of the cliff like a bird that had just been shot down in mid-flight. Again, the only person to save him would be himself. In this case, he wasn't even sure if he had the energy to do that anymore. He just managed to turn himself in a way that might brace his fall when the world around him faded and he remembered no more…

--

When Train opened his eyes, he could see the bright, but stale light of a setting sun through the trees above. Everything in his body was sending stabbing pains through him. He had no doubt that he had broken a few things at least. He dare not move, not even to get help. If no one found him, then he would surely die this way. That was all there was to it. Perhaps the next time, he woke he could attempt to see what still functioned. Once again, the world grew blurry, and Train lost all track of time and space.

--

The next time Train's eyes opened, it was to the sight of someone sitting next to him. Voices could be heard all around him, but none of them were very loud. Thanks to the dim light, he also could not see who the people around him were.

Train attempted to reach for his gun, but his arm let out a sharp pain in protest. So it was broken too, huh? Helpless and pretty much paralyzed, Train lay silent, hoping that it wasn't Creed.

The voices around him grew slightly louder, "…course you would. But we were under orders to stop the hunt for Thirteen. He's not our target. And what's more, if you go dragging him all over the countryside before you take him back to base, then he'll die."

"Serves him right for betraying the numbers. And what's more…serves him right for being weak enough to get injured," growled another voice.

"I can't imagine this guy simply falling off a cliff and then getting himself injured for no reason. There had to be a reason for it," said the first voice calmly.

"We could always finish him off right here and now. No one would ever know. The official story would be that we found him dead from a fall off a cliff," growled the second voice.

"No! You will not! I won't allow it. Killing him is not our mission! Got it?"

Train watched the two. He could see now that they weren't looking at him, but at each other.

"So…Chronos…was the one…to find…me…" Train managed to croak out.

He could see the nearest figure look down at him. Even in the darkness, he knew that he had seen the man before.

"I know you. You are…number seven…Hazard was it?" Train groaned in agony.

"Easy there, Heartnet. You're in no condition to move for a while. We can't take a good look at your injuries until it gets light so don't move around."

"Why? Why are you…helping me…Hazard?"

Jenos looked away from Train, "Tell me. How is Rinslet?"

"The last time…I saw her she…was fine, but that was…a few weeks ago."

The moon shown in Jenos's eyes, "I see."

There was an awkward silence between them for a moment before Jenos spoke again.

"Can you move your gun hand at least, Heartnet?"

"Nah. It's…busted to hell."

"Damn," said Jenos quietly.

Train's mind whirled in confusion. Judging from Hazard's reaction, he wasn't going to be killed by Chronos. In fact, since they were staying with him, they seemed to be trying to help him. He had left Chronos, so why were they helping him?

"We just happened to find you at the same time we wanted to camp for the night. That's why we're here, in case you care, Heartnet," said Jenos.

Train let out a strangled laugh, "Bullshit…Hazard."

"Yeah, that excuse would have worked on anyone but a number. Unfortunately, you are a number…once a number, always a number, Heartnet. You may have left Chronos, but that doesn't stop you from being fully capable of kicking my ass," said Jenos.

"Considering…the situation…at the moment…I'd say…you have the per—fect opportunity to…change that," said Train.

"I don't kill already half-dead men, Heartnet. And right now, what you did in the past doesn't really matter to me. You're not Creed," said Jenos.

"Hey, Hazard…I think I'm going to…rest a bit…"

"Fine then, Heartnet," said Jenos softly. His eyes managed to just brush over the scene of Train's face when Train's eyes rolled back into his head unnaturally. Jenos heart skipped a beat. His stomach clenched in fear. "Hey. Hey, Heartnet."

Train did not answer. Jenos got to his feet, only to kneel on the ground beside Train. Bent over the man who was maybe just a few years younger than himself, Jenos started to shake Train.

"Heartnet! Hey Heartnet! Train! Marduke, get over here and help me!"

"No thanks, Hazard. Just let him be," said the other man.

"Train Heartnet! Can you hear me?"

"Let me…sleep…"

"I think you have a concussion, Heartnet. Stay with me. You can't go to sleep yet, you hear me?"

Jenos's head shot up. He could hear voices in the distance. Listening carefully, he determined that they seemed to be calling for something. After a moment, he heard it.

"Train! Are you here, Train?!"

Jenos could barely see light coming from the base of a flashlight. Getting to his feet, he looked toward the direction of the light, unmoving. He couldn't abandon Train. If he abandoned Train, then so would his cold-hearted partner, and then there would be no finding Train again in this darkness. If that happened, Train would surely die.

"Train!"

In an instant the image of a sharp-eyed blond girl, and a harassed-looking middle-aged man with an eye patch appeared. Among them was a violet-haired Rinslet Walker.

"Jenos?" said Rinslet first. Her face wreathed with pure shock and confusion.

"You're looking for Heartnet, right?" Jenos said. His skin was unnaturally pale in the dim light.

"Yes," said Eve in her cool voice, almost hopefully.

"He's here," said Jenos. He stepped aside, revealing Train who was on the ground. At first glance, he would appear to merely be asleep, but Jenos's coat had been slung over most of the younger man's body to keep him warm. "I think he fell from the cliff. He's spoken since we found him, but I'm not sure how bad he is. I think he may have a concussion too."

Sven was already kneeling next to Train by the time Jenos had stopped talking.

"Eve. Shine some light over here," Sven urged.

Obediently, Eve walked over to Sven and shined the flashlight on Train. Sven pulled Jenos's coat away from Train's body. At first glance, he seemed to be okay, but looking harder, he could see that Train's arms were bleeding. A bone on the lower part of his gun arm was sticking out of the skin in a grotesque way.

"Oh, god. Train…" Rinslet managed to say.

Sven was shaking with fear as he pulled away the rest of the coat.

"If he fell from the top of that cliff, he's lucky to even be alive," said Jenos, watching sympathetically. "Even unconscious, he's still a number."

What Sven saw didn't seem to be all to bad on the outside, but there was still the factor of Train wearing clothing. And on top of that, Sven didn't even want to imagine the amount of internal damage that Train had sustained.

"What the hell happened, Train?" Sven whispered, his voice sad but angry.

Train remained still and unmoving. He couldn't hear Sven any longer. Every voice around him was nothing more than part of the darkness now.

'What now?' said a voice somewhere in Train's head.

--

"We need to get Train out of here and to a doctor," said Rinslet. "I'll even pay for it this time."

Jenos watched Rinslet bite her lip. He knew that she was worried. She never would have offered money to anyone if she weren't absolutely sure that a friend's life depended on it. Rinslet may have been a thief, but she wasn't cold-hearted.

"I'll help get him out," Jenos said after a long moment.

Rinslet surveyed Jenos quietly. "I believe we parked about a mile and half away. If you can just help us get him to the car, then I think we can find a way to get him to a doctor."

"You really leaving?" said a gruff voice from a short distance away.

"I'll be back soon, Marduke," said Jenos coldly.

With that, Sven, Jenos, Eve, and Rinslet gently lifted Train off the ground, careful to support his entire body. In minutes the four disappeared into the darkness. The only evidence of Train ever having been there were a few small bloodstains on the ground, and the still figure of Marduke. The rest vanished into the blackness of the night…

--

_**Hey there! First time I've written for Black Cat. Different story, and probably a different kind of audience. Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think. **_

_**If you're waiting on chapters for either my Full Metal Panic, or Witch Hunter Robin fan fic… Don't worry, I have a computer again and I'm already half done with both of them. Hope to upload them soon. See you next chapter!**_


	2. Wounds

**Black Cat – Chapter 2 – Wounds**

After getting lost twice, the four finally found the car. The situation brought back an odd kind of irony for Rinslet. The last time she had been summoned to come help Train was when he had supposedly been turned into a little boy by a bullet filled with Nanomachines. Back then; a feisty girl named Kyoko had accompanied her upon arrival to the motel room that Train, Sven, and Eve were staying. Only, then…Train had been cured before she had even arrived. And what of Kyoko? Surely she would be having a cow if she could see Train now.

"Are you sure you'll be okay with Heartnet from here?" said Jenos. He had pulled Rinslet aside, and was busy looking into her eyes.

"All right, you two love birds," said Sven, lighting a cigarette. "I hate to break up this lovely moment, but if we don't hurry, Train's going to die on us…"

Rinslet turned to walk away, only to have Jenos grab her arm. Caught off guard by the sudden restraint, Rinslet stopped and turned to face Jenos again.

"Rinslet…"

Rinslet gave Jenos a sad smile, "Later."

Jenos let go of her arm and she walked away without another word.

Without further delay, Rinslet, Sven, Eve, and the unconscious Train were off. Sven figured that the nearest town was at the top of the cliff. This of course meant that they had to drive up a mountain road to get there. It also so happened that the nearest mountain road was just over thirty minutes away. The mountain road itself was just over a fifteen-minute drive, but the constant winding made it take nearly another forty-five. So, after much anxiety, bad tempers flaring, and almost two hours of a droning car ride, they had arrived back at the motel that they were staying. Sven eyed Train from a chair next to the queen-sized, moth-eaten bed. The small town's doctor wouldn't be in for at least another two hours. At least…that's what the sign on the doctor's door had said. Until then, it seemed best to try and keep Train as warm and comfortable as possible. Sven inwardly grimaced at the thought. It was a sad state of affairs when he was concerned with keeping Train comfortable.

"Princess…" Sven heard someone whisper so quietly that at first, he wasn't even sure he heard it.

"How is…Princess?" said a strained voice.

Sven looked over at Train, thunderstruck. Bending closer to the younger man, he could see Train's eyes struggling to stay open.

"Eve is fine, Train," said Sven after a moment, still very confused.

"Good…she…made it," said Train. His eyes closed again, leaving Sven leaning over him, confused and alarmed.

"Train? What happened to you? Why did you fall?"

There was no answer for a moment. Then, Train managed to say quietly, "My fault…I was…supposed to…be keeping an…eye…on her. Got…distracted… She almost…fell…so at least…she didn't…fall…"

Sven pulled his hat over his eyes, "You fool…"

Silence fell over the room as the clock ticked by. Rays of sun started to peak through the small motel windows. Already, through the dim light, anyone could see blood seeping through the makeshift bandage that had been tied around Train's arm when the skin had been broken. Sven had the horrible feeling that the loss of blood and long exposure to the elements would make shock set in. Sven was already quite certain that Train was running a fever.

"Is Train going to die?" said a young woman's voice.

Sven looked over to find Eve standing there.

"Train's tougher than that," said Sven.

His voice sounded sure, but he didn't feel sure. He felt like a liar. The truth of the matter was that he was pissed and scared out of his mind. And now, knowing that Train had fallen saving Eve…somehow that made it all that much worse in his mind. Sven couldn't help thinking that maybe, somehow this was all his fault. If anyone should be too hurt to move, it should be him. It was always him, because he made sure that if anything happened, he was always the one to receive the first blow. Now, here it was. Train injured and unable to even punch Sven in the face or pretend to lecture him. It wasn't supposed to be this way. How could it be this way?

After what seemed to be an eternity, Rinslet walked in the room, accompanied by an older woman in a velvet green vest and oddly wide khaki pants. Sven watch the new arrival curiously. This must've been the doctor that they had all been waiting for.

Taking a seat next to Train, the doctor absently inserted a thermometer into Train's mouth before she began to dig around in a large grey bag. Taking out a penlight, she shined light into Train's eyes. After a moment, apparently being satisfied, she stood up and carefully put pressure on various parts of Train's chest and arms. Occasionally, her prodding would earn a groan or cough from Train. Taking out a pair of scissors, she carefully cut away Train's shirt, revealing skin that looked severely bruised and swollen. In the shoulder that led to Train's gun hand was a small round hole covered with blood. Sven's eyes widened in shock.

"Is that a…gunshot wound??"

Seeing the doctor nod calmly, Sven's heart started racing. The story quietly completed itself in Sven's head. So Train had caught Eve and in an effort to protect her had taken a bullet full blown in the shoulder. That was the reason why he had so much trouble with the idea of pulling the two of them back up. Train's arm was too weak after receiving the impact of a bullet. But how had he not noticed that Train had been shot before now? How could he have overlooked something like that?

"He's very lucky," the doctor said at last.

Sven looked up, almost too afraid to hear what else she had to say.

"He's lost a lot of blood, but very few of his bones seem to be broken. Still. The bones in each of his arms are broken in at least two places. There was no exit wound either, so the bullet is still in his shoulder. That also may have kept him from bleeding to death. Though it helps that it didn't seem to strike any arteries."

"Train…" said Eve with her small voice.

"So, we need to take him to a hospital then?" said Sven. His voice remained calm and collected, but inside he was fussing over Train like a mother with a sick child. Knowing Train, if he were awake, he would have never mentioned the gunshot wound at all. Train was no stranger to pain, but what he liked even less was for anyone to go worrying about him. Train was his own man, and in his mind, if he died, it wouldn't be that great a loss just as long as he went down with a purpose. Sure, he complained a lot about petty things, but Sven knew all too well that the only reason Train did this was so that he had the strength to keep the bigger things inside

and unsaid.

"There's no need for that. I am qualified to remove bullets. I have to be to live in a town like this," said the doctor.

Sven watched her carefully as she pulled out some antiseptic. At first, Sven was determined to watch and make sure that she knew what she was doing, but after she made a cut into Train's chest, opening the wound up even wider, he found that he had to leave the room for his own sanity. It was all too much for him to handle. He had somehow convinced himself after Train disappeared for almost a year that the younger man was his sweeper partner, nothing more. Eve was his treasure, the one person who he really cared for. All this time, after everything, he had only been lying to himself again. Sven cringed as he heard Train cry out. With his back to the wall, he sat just outside the room, no more than a foot from the door. A familiar pair of boots stopped in front of the door to look in on the doctor. Seeming satisfied that she was doing her job, the booted figure stepped away from the door and walked in front of Sven. The boots stopped on his other side and turned around. Sven looked to his side just in time to see Rinslet sit down next to him.

"Hey, you okay, Sven?"

"You know something," said Sven looking at the wall across from him. "I've never had kids before. Never even been in love before really. Sure, I've been with the occasional lady, but it was all a passing phase. It's the dumbest thing. I've been alone up until I took Eve and Train with me. But ever since then, I can't stop feeling that I'm responsible for them somehow."

"So it kinda feels like that's you're son in there?" said Rinslet quietly.

Sven fell silent.

"It's only natural, Sven. He is seven years younger than you. You're at an age where a lot of men start having to deal with a family. He's like family to you, so it only makes sense that you would feel that."

"Do you ever think that maybe Train is hiding a hell of a lot more than he tells?"

"All the time," said Rinslet. "But you're around him all the time, so I can only imagine how you feel."

"He was shot, Rinslet. No one ever said a word. I didn't even know about it until the doctor said something. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Is this all because you didn't go looking for Train until almost an hour after you found Eve?"

Sven shuttered.

"You didn't know, Sven. Nothing this bad has ever happened to Train before while he's been with you. How would any of us have known? For all we knew, he just wandered off like he always has done."

"Yeah, it took a complete stranger to even suggest the idea that Train was hurt," said Sven bitterly.

"Don't keep beating yourself up over it. Train's alive. That's all that matters. Just remind me to thank Jenos later," said Rinslet.

"Planning another date with the man already? That doesn't sound like you, Rinslet," said Sven, only half joking.

"What can I say? He and I actually have some things in common."

"Imagine that, a world-class thief and a number from Chronos together. Never saw that one coming."

"Oh, be quiet. It isn't like we're serious, so don't be getting ideas."

"Two and a half years sounds pretty serious to me, Rinslet. And from the way he was looking at you earlier, I'd say he has some plans for you," said Sven, lighting a cigarette.

"Just drop it, would you? I don't know how you can sit there and pry into someone's personal life when your partner is in there having a bullet taken out of his chest."

"Relax. I was only stating a fact. No need to get defensive," said Sven, letting out a puff of smoke.

"And what about you, Sven? Are you ever going to give Eve a chance? She likes you, you know."

The cigarette fell from his lips after opening his mouth in shock, causing him to burn the top of his hand.

"OW!" He yelped in pain, shaking off the hot ash.

Rinslet giggled, watching her friend frantically try to regain his composure. After a minute, Sven was still once again.

When Sven finally spoke, his voice was rather high pitched and horse, "Me and Eve? What gave you that idea? She's young enough to be my daughter!"

"But you have to admit. She views you more like a crush than a guardian," said Rinslet with a devious smile.

"That is not true!"

"What you choose to believe is your business, but I know better."

Sven was about to open his mouth to argue, but it was at that moment that Eve came out of Train's room.

"Eve," said Sven, turning his head to look at her.

"The doctor says that she is done now," said Eve.

"How's Train?" said Rinslet, asking the question before Sven got the chance to.

"He lost more blood when she took out the bullet. The doctor says that if he makes it through today and the night after, then he will be fine," said Eve.

Sven could feel his courage leaving him again. There was still a chance that Train may not make it. Sure, Train was tough, but even he had limits. Even Train was still human. It was only at this time, the fact that the number thirteen having been branded into Train's chest really started to bother him. To just sit there and wait while Train fought for his life. Sven would be damned before he let Train's life be decided by the luck of a number.

After a few minutes the doctor walked out of Train's room with medical bag in hand. Stopping to face the two adults who had taken refuge on the floor, she was immediately greeted with the gesture of Sven getting to his feet.

"He's resting for the moment. He's quite lucky to still be alive after all that he's been through. If he survives the next twenty-four hours, then I'd say that he's going to make it. Until then, I can't tell you for certain. He has a good chance, but he's very weak at this point," said the doctor.

Sven nodded. Rinslet rose to her feet.

"Now, about you're payment," said Rinslet. "Come with me."

The doctor did as she was instructed and left Sven and Eve to their thoughts. Sven walked into Train's room, silently pulled up a chair and sat down next to his bed. The man looked pale and feverish with splints and bandages everywhere.

"Twenty-four hours of hell, huh? Hanging in there, Train."

--

_**Hey there. Hope this chapter was worth the wait. School keeps me busy so I can't write as much as I want to anymore. Hopefully I can write more soon. See you next chapter!**_


	3. Hanging By a Thread

**Black Cat – Chapter 3 – Hanging By A Thread**

The hours ticked by slowly. Sven drifted in and out of consciousness after an hour or so passed. The night's events had left him feeling more emotionally beat then he remembered being in a long time. After about half an hour of fighting to stay awake, Sven found himself falling into a full-blown sleep, and when he woke up, the sun was high in the sky. Sven didn't have to ask what was happening to the man in front of him. He could tell just by looking—the sweat, the uncontrolled shaking, and most of all, the groans that followed extreme discomfort. Train had a high fever, which meant one of two things: either he had lost so much blood that his body was attempting to keep itself warm by raising his body temperature unnaturally, or one of Train's wounds had gotten infected.

Sven gently reached a hand across to touch Train's cheek, secretly hoping to be wrong all together. Train's face felt like fire underneath Sven's hand. He looked very pale in Sven's eyes. Sven couldn't ever remember being as scared for anyone as he was for Train right now…not even for Eve when she managed to get herself in trouble on past occasions. Sure, Train had taken bullets before and had been fine. Hell, the former Black Cat even survived NANO-machines turning his body into a little boy. Still, that wasn't as bad as this. Sven knew that Train was fighting for the life that he had managed to steal from the numbers. That's the way it always seemed with him. Train's life was a continuous battle of fighting for a life that was his, only to be told time and time again that it belonged to someone else. He was powerful enough to have his way, but only because he had taken so many lives and gone through so much hell in his past to obtain that power. Perhaps this is what worried Sven most. Maybe after everything, Train would just decide to give up, thinking that repenting wasn't worth staying alive for if he was already so close to death anyway. And what was more, if Train died, he would probably be with Saya again. Sven had nothing to offer Train in return for staying alive that death couldn't top. It sounded ridiculous, but even Sven had to admit that as injured as Train was now, he wouldn't blame the younger man if he did choose death. After all, Train's entire life had been painful…more painful than Sven could ever know.

"He isn't going to get better any faster with you worrying over him like a mother hen," said a firm female voice.

Sven turned his head to see Rinslet walk up beside him.

"I would've thought that you would be long gone by now," said Sven calmly.

"Are you kidding? And leave the Black Cat without knowing if he's going to make it? How anticlimactic would that be? Besides. I have to know he'll still be alive when I leave, or I might end up being the last to know. The kid's a legend. It only makes sense that a master thief like myself should be the first to know if anything happens to someone as famous as him."

Sven stared at her for a long moment, not entirely believing what had just come out of her mouth. Then turning back to Train, he said quietly, "For everyone's sake, he better make it. He's pulled both of our asses out of the fire more than once. I would've thought that you would at least remember that."

"Only too well," said Rinslet bitterly.

"Speaking of him fighting. Where did you put Hades? He'll want to know where it is when he wakes up."

"It's just inside the drawer next to his bed. But he won't need it for a while. Even if he does pull through—"

"You mean _when_ he pulls through."

"Fine. Even _when_ he pulls through, he won't be able to fight for a while. There's an awful lot of internal damage, Sven. The bones, especially, nearly shattered on impact. I mean, his arms got the worst of it, but the doctor told me that it was quite possible that he had a few broken ribs as well. And his back…he's lucky that his spine didn't get severed."

Sven frowned, "You think I don't know that? I know what happened Rinslet, but I also know who Train is. Stop betting against him!"

Rinslet's eyes opened wide in surprise. She felt her mouth go dry. Turning her head to the side, she frowned, looking as though she had been injured.

"I'll send Eve in after a while. She'll want to know that Train is ok," said Rinslet swallowing hard and turning to walk toward the door. Within seconds the door was closed behind her and Sven was left alone wit Train once again.

Sven wasn't a very affectionate person, especially when it came to other men, but right now, everything that seemed true and right was being turned upside down and backwards. When Sven grabbed one of Train's cold hands and held onto it, anyone would've known that he was dying inside, waiting for the opportunity to lick the wounds that had been inflicted on his heart, or for the final blow to be dealt.

"D-Don't tell Eve…about what happened, " said a small, slow-talking voice.

Sven stared at Train, stunned, "Train?"

"Does she…know what…happened on the…cliff?"

"No," said Sven. "She doesn't know."

"Good—don't tell her…"

Sven brought Train's hand up to rest his forehead on, "You idiot. You knew. None of this would have happened if she hadn't wandered off again, right?"

"This isn't…her fault…"

"How are you feeling now, by the way?" said Sven, attempting to change the subject.

"Feels like...body is…on fire…with small—knives stab—bing me all…over. I'll—live though."

For an instant Sven felt the tension in his body ease slightly. So Train was fighting after all. The fact that he was awake was probably also a good sign, but Sven knew all too well that he needed rest.

"Train, the doctor left you some medicine. After you take it, you need to go back to sleep, ok?"

"K…"

Sven gently laid Train's hand on his bed and poured a glass of water. Unscrewing the cap of a pill bottle, he poured out two small oval tablets. Putting an arm carefully underneath Train's back and neck, he lifted Train just slightly up from his pillows. Immediately, Train gave off a low-pitched whine in the back of his throat to indicate the pain he was feeling at the change of position. Sven hoped that he wasn't making anything worse. Slowly poking the pills one by one into Train's mouth and tipping the cup of water so that the liquid poured down the younger man's throat, he felt a small part of Train's body relax just a little. When Sven was sure that Train had swallowed all the water in the cup, he laid the younger man gently back down on his pillows and pulled his arm back out from underneath him. He knew that Train had fallen unconscious again. All there was to do now was wait.

Time dragged on slowly. Sometime within the next hour, Sven heard another male voice coming from outside the room. Though he couldn't make out what it was saying, he couldn't help but feel like it sounded familiar. It was calm and almost soothing in a way, never seeming to be angry in tone. The voice that answered was Rinslet, Sven was sure of that. Calm though they both were, Sven couldn't help but hear a slight note of hysteria in Rinslet's voice. Each time she spoke, she was answered with the calm, understanding voice that Sven guessed to be Jenos Hazard. He couldn't deny that part of him was interested in the relationship between the two, even now. They had been dating for quite some time now. Sven was beginning to wonder if Jenos would pop the question on her soon. It felt strange for him to approve of Rinslet's relationship, but Sven really didn't have much objection to Jenos. He seemed to treat Rinslet right, even with his type of work being such a large part of him. And since the numbers had almost completely dissolved, he was now allowed to live some of his own life as well.

Suddenly an abrupt silence fell between the two. Not wanting to leave Train, but at the same time having his curiosity get the better of him, Sven got to his feet and walked over to the door, putting an ear against the wood. He heard a light thump against something down the hall. Sven didn't really have to ask or even see them to know what they were doing. For all of Rinslet's trouble to convince him that there was very little between her and the handsome dark-haired assassin, actions vary rarely lied. Though it may have been true that he had never been in love himself, he knew plenty of people who were or had been. The fact of the matter was, at this very moment, if Sven opened the door he would see that Jenos had Rinslet pinned against something, making out with her.

Leaning away from the door, Sven looked back at Train. Sven hated to admit it, but the younger man looked just like an ordinary man that was facing death. The color was still drained from Train's face, and he was shaking uncontrollably again. Sven's gaze pierced the image of the man lying on the bed in front of him. If Train did die…would Eve be ok? Would he be ok? Sven frowned. No. He needed Train. Whether to prove his own sanity, to feel like a father, or to simply have something stable to hold on to when the rest of the world collapsed around him, Sven needed that gluttonous, immature, firecracker of a man.

Sitting back down, Sven decided to face fear head-on. The hours clothed in dark night air passed slowly. More than once, Train's breathing became so shallow that Sven thought he had lost the younger man. Throughout the night, Train's skin went through various shades or white, yellow, and light blue. He looked so endlessly ill in Sven's eyes. The older man went from calmly sitting, to frantically checking Train's pulse, temperature and breathing. Hours passed into the early parts of the morning. Sven sat for long periods of time with his face buried in his hands. When Eve finally walked in the room around seven o'clock in the morning, she found Sven bent over, head resting on his arms, and fast asleep on the edge of Train's bed. The injured Black Cat's face finally seemed to be regaining some color. Train had pulled through the night after all.

"Princess?"

Eve looked over at Train's face to find him staring back at her.

"How do you feel, Train?"

Train's gaze drifted to the ceiling, "It feels like I'm in a few pieces. I don't even remember…what happened?"

"You don't remember anything?"

"It's not that. I remember everything up until I fell from the cliff. I don't ever remember hitting the ground though, and I don't remember anything after that either. Was I asleep this whole time."

Eve shook her head, "You woke up a few times. Sven has been so worried. He never left your side."

"Imagine that," said Train, his eyelids getting heavy. He could feel the world slipping away from him.

"Go and sleep more. Everyone will still be here when you wake up."

As if given permission for his body to give in to sleep, Train felt the world grow still. His mind was thoughtless once again, his eyes closed, and his world dark and unmoving. He felt nothing, he heard nothing, and it was a kind of false peace illustrated in the deepest of chaos.

Somewhere deep in the depths of that darkness, a voice called to him. At first it was quiet and far away. But when the voice called again, it was closer, louder, and more familiar.

"_You won't get anywhere in life if you just stand around here, silly!"_

_Train looked up. There she was. Just as beautiful and bubbly as he remembered, Saya was looking down at him with sparkling eyes._

"_And what else should I do then?"_

"_They're waiting for you, Train. Sven and Eve need you."_

_Train snorted, "They don't need me. I just cause trouble for the lot of them. It's my own fault I fell. It's my own fault any time anything happens to me. It just means I've become too soft to dodge whatever's coming."_

"_Do you honestly believe that? Being a little more skilled with Hades wouldn't have broken your fall you know…"_

"_This is just…too hard. It always feels like I'm fighting against something. I'm tired, Saya. I'm so tired. I want to rest now. I don't want to run…or fight anymore."_

"_What's with you?"_

"_It's time to hang up Hades for good."_

"_That's not funny, Train."_

"_I wasn't trying to be funny."_

"_Look, if you won't live for yourself, then at least live for Sven and Eve."_

"_And if I don't want to…"_

"_Then all the repenting you spent the last few years doing will have been for nothing."_

_Train thought about this for a moment. It wasn't that he disliked Sven and Eve. On the contrary, he liked them very much. It was more the fact that he didn't think he could make himself live for just their sake. But if he would be undoing all the work he had done for the last few years by quitting now, then he had no choice but to stay._

_Saya smiled and her giggles faded away into the darkness. It wasn't long before even the darkness faded and he remembered no more…_

----

_**Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait! The world has been keeping me busy, and trying to bully my imagination into coming up with anything has been a rather fruitless task for the last several weeks. Better luck in the months to come, hopefully! Until next chapter! Toodles!**_


	4. Anniversary

**Black Cat - Chapter 4 - Anniversary**

It had been two months to the day since Train had fallen from the cliff. Slowly, he drew Hades and looked straight at his target. Three shots rang out, as cans half a mile away went flying. It would appear that his shooting skills were not hindered by his recent incident. Each can obediently flew off the ground, out of a tree, or over a wall as a bullet hit it. No, it was something else. His body just wouldn't move as fast as he wanted it to. He felt stiff and restless, but aggravatingly weak.

"Give it some time. You aren't going to be perfect again immediately, you know," said a familiar voice.

"What do you want Rinslet?" Train asked, forcing his gun open with a steady hand. Shells met his fingertips, and he mindlessly extracted them.

"I just want to help," said Rinslet defensively.

"You can't help. No one can ever help when it comes to this. The only people in this world who could even begin to bring me back up to where I was are the Chronos numbers. Currently, there are only five left and I have contact with none."

"Jenos would help you," said Rinslet casually.

"Jenos Hazard? Since when have you had access to him?"

"Since like…forever ago. But that isn't the point. He can help you right? I can convince him really easily. How about it?"

Train looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "And why would he help me?"

Train didn't particularly like Jenos. He was a bit too cocky and overly womanizing for his taste, but then again, perhaps this human side of him was what made him acceptable to Rinslet. It wasn't as if Jenos failed on a regular basis as a number either. The main difference between him and the rest of the Chronos numbers was that he could feel more than they could. Train stared past Rinslet. He, the legendary Black Cat, the invincible number thirteen—the one ultimate assassin that never failed… Even he had started to feel something once he met Saya. Train thought about this. The day he met Saya was the day the he started thinking twice about pulling the trigger of Hades.

"He's the one who found you, Train. And I know he wouldn't mind testing his skills against the legendary number thirteen in a friendly match. I mean, you two really aren't very different are you?" said Rinslet innocently.

Train scoffed, "Me and Hazard alike? Not in this lifetime."

Rinslet was taken aback. She stared at Train with her mouth open.

"Why do you have to be like that?" she demanded. "You're always getting yourself and everyone around you into trouble, and when someone does try to help you, you won't let them in. All you ever do is brood in silence. Why can't you let someone else into your small world for once?"

Train's eyes flickered towards her angrily. The glare that followed made Rinslet fall silent and back a few feet away from him. She knew better than to provoke him.

"You really think I never let anyone in? Do you seriously think I would have come back if I didn't care for Sven and Eve? Would I have taken a bullet and fallen off a cliff for anyone else but someone that meant something to me? WELL!?"

Rinslet stared at him, petrified. It was just then that a swift hand met is cheek. Train staggered backwards, putting a hand to the cheek that had been struck, not looking up.

"Don't you ever speak to her that way!" said a very angry male voice. Train knew it immediately. Jenos Hazard was there, his arms around his beloved woman thief.

"Train?" Rinslet spoke shakily.

"Leave me alone," Train said quietly as he turned and walked past them, not even glancing up to look at them. Upon walking inside the motel they were staying in, he brushed past Sven without a word or a glance, earning him a frown from the older man. He yanked the door of his room open and shut it behind him with a snap.

"What is he so upset about?" Sven asked as Rinslet walked into the hallway.

"Uh…just a little misunderstanding," she said with a sheepish smile.

Sven surveyed her expression and shrugged, "If you say so." With that, he walked away, leaving her alone. She had sent Jenos home as a response to his harsh action, thanking him but also reprimanding him.

Rinslet walked up to Train's door and knocked, "Train? Can I come in?"

She was answered by silence. Taking this opportunity, she opened the door and walked inside. Train was laying on a bed in the corner of the room with his eyes closed and Hades in his hands.

"Train?"

Train's answer came after a moment of silence, "What part of 'leave me alone' do you not understand?"

"I'm sorry, Train. I wasn't being fair."

"_She_ died because I was late for our date that day."

Rinslet 's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Confusion entered her mind.

"She was waiting for me alone. Because I didn't want to let her in, I made her wait. Because I was unable to allow myself to let go of what I was still holding on to, she died. Because I had let her in without realizing it, my heart broke for her that day. I was too late, Rinslet. I couldn't do anything for her. She died in my arms."

Understanding slowly started to seep into Rinslet's mind. This was…

"I let her down. I killed her by not being there for her. I won't ever make that mistake again."

"Train…you couldn't have known that Saya would be in danger. You can't blame yourself for that."

"But I did know. I knew the second she left the night before it happened. I could feel it somehow. But… I also know that she doesn't blame me. When I do get to where she is someday, I'll have to apologize to her properly. But until then, I won't allow anyone else I know to become a victim."

"Train. Don't you think it's about time you forgave yourself for that as well? It's been years since her death."

Train sat up, looking down at the floor, "I no longer have a grudge towards anyone, whether they be myself, the man who wounded her, or anyone else. But you wanted to know why I don't let people in. The answer is simply that I already have let them in. I just deal with it differently than you do."

The door suddenly burst open revealing an energetic-looking Sven and an emotionless Eve. Train and Rinslet looked up at them.

"Hey, Train. So I was thinking we could all have a bite to eat to celebrate your recovery before we leave t—"

"Sure," said Train quietly, a smile touching his lips. Rinslet stared at Train unsmiling. He wasn't the same gluttonous, immature, stray black cat that she remembered before he left on his own.

"Can you give me another minute, Sven? I'll be ready in a moment," said Train.

"Sure," said Sven befuddled.

"Thanks," said Train with a smile that hardly lit a pair of sad eyes.

Rinslet stared at him, consciously keeping her mouth from falling wide open in amazement. Since when had Train become so mature? It was as if a concussion and shattering a few dozen bones had knocked some manners into him.

"Train…are you sure you're alright?"

He turned his head towards her and lifted a corner of his mouth into a crooked smile.

"I'm trying to be better about this. Saya would want me to try harder and be nicer, today of all days."

Rinslet stared at Train blankly, "Today?"

"Today is the anniversary of her death."

A light bulb seemed to turn on in Rinslet's head. He never seemed to let on exactly how much Saya had affected him, but judging from all that he had just said; she appeared to be very important to him.

Train got to his feet, "We should go. Sven and Eve are waiting." Train walked to the door, opened it and walked out of the room without glancing at Rinslet to see if she was following. Rinslet frowned, and got her feet as well. Pausing to look at his blue jacket carelessly draped over a chair in the corner, she frowned.

"I wonder…was she the reason he left Chronos?"

Turning on her heel she walked to the door. That would be a question for another day.

* * *

Train's cell phone rang as he got into the car. Reaching into his pocket he picked it up.

"Hey Train."

"Rinslet? Aren't you coming?"

"It's time I got moving again. I've stayed in one place for far too long."

There was a slight pause as his eyes saddened a little. If truth be told, he had gotten used to her company.

"Later then," he said quietly.

"Take care, Train."

"Yeah. Bye," said Train.

"Bye."

Train turned the phone in his hand and pressed a red button on it. Sven looked at him.

"Where's Rinslet?"

"She's going back on the road, so she won't be joining us."

"That's a shame. Oh well," said Sven, turning around and starting the car.

Train watched the motel disappear behind him. So, he was still here with these people after all. For having the unlucky number thirteen branded into his flesh, he couldn't help but think he was pretty damn lucky. An amused smile spread across his face—thirteen had to be his own special, lucky number…

--

_**Well that sums it up. Hope everyone liked it! This chapter marks the end of this fic, but remember to tell me what you think. I like reading what you have to say. **_

_**I'm off to start on the next chapter for the Full Metal Panic fic. Happy Valentines Day!**_


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